Phil Brown has a selection dilemma ahead of Swindon’s League Two clash with Bury at the Energy Check County Ground on Saturday.
Lawrence Vigouroux, who has made the number. 1 shirt his own so far this season, has earned a call-up to the Chile national team for his form, but in his absence, Luke McCormick has taken his chance and kept two clean sheets in two games.
Brown welcomed Vigouroux back fresh from his time with La Roja, knowing he has regained a good character but been given a selection headache.
“He’s in good spirits to be fair – he’s come back to a winning team and his mentality is to join in. He’s a livewire – I love the fella. He’s fantastic to have around win, lose or draw he has something to say – he has an opinion on the game.
“He wasn’t jetlagged at all but his bags were left in Paris, that’s the reason he was a little bit tardy, a little bit late this morning – nothing to do with the fact he didn’t want to come in.
“He has been around the world and he has been involved in a 7.0 on the richter scale which was quite scary from what he described this morning. So, once the dust settles we have a decision to make and it’s a very difficult one.”
Despite his selection headache, Brown is pleased with Vigouroux and McCormick – their character and ability as well as the competition between them.
“He’s the kind of character I want to have in the changing room. Now, we have genuine competition, I said it at the start of the season, I feel like we have two number ones. To get someone of Luke McCormick’s stature is a phenomenal number two but at the start of the season he was joint level with Vigouroux.
“They’re too very good goalkeepers and both have got absolutely every reason to want to be playing on Saturday – I’ve got to make that decision.”
“I’ll be having lengthy discussions with Steve (Mildenhall) as I have done already, as well has both the players involved.”
The two more-experienced shot-stoppers are not the only ones in between the sticks that are on the Gaffer’s mind, with Will Henry stopping Billericay Town from scoring for the first time in 87 games while on-loan at Chippenham Town..
“Bare in mind that the third one, Will Henry has just had a fantastic loan spell at Chippenham so I’ve got three very good goalkeepers – I’m remarkably blessed that in the fourth tier of English football I’ve got three quality, talented goalkeepers who will go on to be successful, regardless of whether they’ve had it already or whether it’s still coming for them.
“That’s a wonderful stat. Will’s loan spell at Chippenham was great for him – it was fantastic at the time; close, local and we got a chance to see him play and he moved Chippenham up the table.
“I know there’s a good goalkeeper there.”
Brown’s final thoughts on goalkeepers compare the situation now to the one he inherited – an improvement, he believes.
“I cast my mind back to last season – there was a little bit of furore with regards to top-class, now international, goalkeeper going on-loan to Waterford, second-choice goalkeeper in the treatment room, third-choice had started his career at Barrow but hadn’t really played. It was in disarray to tell you the truth and we’ve cleared it up, to say the least.
“This competition that we have is really healthy – the competition you’re posing, I’m asking in my head. It’ll be decided upon on Friday and carried into the game on Saturday.”
